Beloved Community Through the Eyes of Empowerment
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
November 10, 2025
Good morning, Friends and welcome to Light Reflections this morning we continue our message series on Beloved Community, this week Through the Eyes of Empowerment. The supportive scripture I have chosen is from 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 from The Message version.
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,
He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
On Monday, I had a meeting with several leaders in Western Yearly Meeting. During our conversation, I spoke of my time in the Anglican Church and being the lead in planting a new church. As I shared, I was reminded of how I, at such a young and inexperienced age, was able to successfully plant a church.
I shared how part of the success was having a Bishop who gave me permission to be creative, to try new things, and also provided a plethora of resources for me to utilize in my endeavor. He also allowed me to fail, to start over on occasion, and even go in different directions if need arose. I had already created a successful city-wide youth program, and he saw potential in me for this much bigger task.
Today, especially among Quakers, I would not call this “permission” (especially since we do not have Bishops), but instead empowerment.
Looking back over my life, I can think of a long list of people who empowered me to new ventures, to new thinking, to breaking out of my boxes and even trying new things. Some were foundational, some were sideroads to new paths, some were earthshattering and life-altering. I am eternally grateful for the people who saw potential and were willing to invest in me.
Obviously, as an only child, my parents and family were my first encounter with empowerment (as it is for many of us). I cannot thank my mom and dad enough for all they have done to empower me and encourage me to greater things throughout my life.
Empowering comes in many forms and at many levels. Just a couple of weeks ago, Sue and I traveled through my hometown, New Haven, Indiana, and I wanted to go past the tennis courts, where my uncle, grandfather, and father, all empowered me, when I was a husky, frustrated junior higher to pick up a tennis racket and hit a ball around. (Sadly, only the outline of the tennis courts remain, as they are now a space to park city maintenance vehicles). No matter, this was where I found my love of playing tennis, getting fit, and even winning my city championship only a year after picking up a racket. The encouragement to try something new, empowered me to find a new part of myself and to succeed in areas that I had never thought were possible. I ended up being the top in my division in varsity doubles in high school and played on a scholarship in college three of my four years.
As I listened to all the letters of people from my past ministries at my 30th anniversary celebration, I could not help but think of how many of them empowered me in ministry and in life. I shared some of those stories in my sermon that day.
But it also has had me thinking about how today, with so much self-focused, individualistic, and even myopic thinking, we once again need to return to looking around ourselves and finding ways to empower our fellow friends, neighbors, and relatives once again.
People are so self-obsessed these days that they rarely take the time for investing in others – to celebrate and acknowledge the gifts, potential, and innovative approaches of people around them, leaving others feeling discouraged and like they may have nothing to offer.
As I have given this further thought over my years in ministry, I realized this may also be a major factor in what is hindering the growth and interest in new possibilities among Quakers, and why as Tom Rockwell, our associate superintendent has pointed out, Quakers are declining.
Too often Friends have become myopic or have reverted to “naval gazing” and we have lost the ability to see the hope and possibility in our midst. I sense this has happened on occasion at First Friends. I have heard people refer to it as “our time of plateau” or the time when we were just “running through the motions.”
I have learned over my now 14 years among Friends that too often we embrace a distorted view of empowerment. Where the goal is to achieve some limited purpose while almost forcing or manipulating others to help accomplish it. This then puts a huge damper on a person’s creativity and ability to help bring change and leaves them forced to conform to former ways and discouraged in moving forward.
It makes me wonder if we are afraid of empowerment or just struggle with seeing its potential impact.
Instead of those distorted views, what if we Quakers saw empowerment as a process that helped challenge our basic assumptions about the way things are and could be?
I sense we might be in need of a Testimony of Empowerment? (I know that would mess up our nice acronym of SPICES, but that may be ok. I thought it was funny in planning this series that by adding empowerment and humor we get SPICES EH!)
As Friends, we have been learning that testimonies are ways to live and act within the Beloved Community based on our values and beliefs.
Like the other testimonies we have been looking at over the last 7 weeks, this one would also focus us on living and acting out our values and beliefs in the Beloved Community, but it would be more directed at empowering individuals to help bring life and change among Friends.
Obviously, to begin developing a Testimony of Empowerment we must first talk honestly about the word at its core – power.
Yearly Meetings, local meetings, and their leadership systems, as many religious organizations today, clearly wrestle with power.
Often, they revert to the narrow focus of a small group of individuals to coerce local meetings or ministers to execute, fund, or drive a specific agenda.
Thus, a tension arises because the default is to see power in terms of control and domination.
For many Friends this often leads to being unchangeable and unchanging – hunkered down in a power struggle of being right or in charge.
There is also, what I will call, a spiritual imbalance among Friends which has us waiting or listening much longer to the Spirit/Inner Light and neglecting to embrace the empowering force of the Spirit/Inner Light that moves us to act.
Just maybe we need to take more risks, have faith, and lean into the leadings of the Spirit/Inner Light. That may seem a bit scary, but looking at our history, it has been the Quaker Way.
Like our Quaker ancestors, we may find ourselves having divine empowerments and moments of inspiration for positive change in our personal lives, as well as our Local and Yearly Meetings and even in our communities and world.
To welcome a Testimony of Empowerment, I believe would embolden just the opposite of control and an unwillingness to change, and instead have us seeking new possibilities, new ideas, new ways to serve and ministry to our hurting world.
When Friends embrace empowerment, we celebrate creativity, inspire expansion, seek reform, spiritual transformation, and a willingness to move power structures from isolated individuals or small groups made of “cookie-cutter” participants to more diverse groups that support a variety of ideas, beliefs, and relationships.
Just think about it, what if First Friends began to embrace a Testimony of Empowerment that intentionally inspired change, developed partnerships, and sought to name and honestly address the complex issues we and our surrounding communities face?
What if we recognized and celebrated individuals for their whole being, their gifting, their personalities, and acknowledged them for more than what they can do for us?
What if while committing to this, we valued and made a priority of collaborations that were based around mutual respect, diverse perspectives, and the development of a positive and energizing vision – where creativity is valued, and people begin to empower each other at all levels of life and faith?
Just maybe…
· All of a sudden, lifeless meetings would gain new perspectives and be perceived as sounding boards, launching groups, and creative think tanks, where new life evolves and births.
· All of a sudden, the value and contributions of people outside our Quaker “bubbles,” who are searching for what Quakers have to offer, would again become important and a new desire for communicating with them would arise.
· All of a sudden, a genuinely supportive and celebratory community would begin to put aside differences to welcome diversity and the possibilities for collaboration and positive impact in their world.
· All of a sudden, people within our Meeting and our Yearly Meetings would feel the excitement growing and sense hope and personal empowerment to be part of the change.
This gets me excited about the possibilities just speaking these words.
Please understand, I would have never become a convinced Friend if it wasn’t for people in my life that recognized the value of a Testimony of Empowerment. I am indebted to Friends Carole Spencer, Colin Saxton, Becky Ankeny, Michael Huber, Howard Macy, Gregg Lamb, Lorraine Watson, Tom Stave, Sarah Hoggett, Shawn McConaughey and so many more for acknowledge my gifting, creativity, and potential and encouraging me to use those God-given gifts and talents (which I have spoken of throughout this series) in ministry.
These Friends gave me permission to challenge my assumptions, to seek diverse and new perspectives, to listen to my Inner Light, and expand my understandings about faith and my world.
These people were also willing to come alongside and mentor, celebrate, and partner with me, and paint a positive and energizing vision for me that spoke to my condition and the condition of my world.
And probably the most important thing these people did was set me free to empower the next generation of Friends who will carry on that legacy.
Five years ago, I wrestled with the idea of what would a Testimony of Empowerment look like for Quakers. Here is what I wrote then and what I still believe today,
Empowerment is the act or action of liberating and supporting one another to challenge and expand our assumptions, seek diverse perspectives, develop our understandings, encourage change, grow unique partnerships, and work to magnify a positive and energizing vision that speaks to the condition of our world through the guidance of our Inner Light.
So, as I have done in all of these messages, what are some practical things we can do, starting today, to help empower those around us:
1. Build Upon Shared Knowledge: Knowledge can be transformative. It can lead to visions and inspire change. Sharing knowledge also brings people together. In our meeting on Monday that I shared about at the beginning of this message, someone mentioned that Quakers are always good at sharing a book or a quote, but how do we build upon that shared knowledge? Our goal should be to add that next step the next time we share some knowledge with each other.
2. Share Your Story: Talking openly about personal struggles and triumphs takes courage, but doing so can be both liberating and empowering. It can also serve as a bridge that connects people and drives away loneliness. Learning about others’ experiences can make people feel less isolated and more hopeful. This is why testimony was so powerful in the early church and why vocal ministry among Friends should include our stories of both success and struggle.
3. Listen to Other People’s Stories: Listening to others with real attention and empathy can provide them with a meaningful and affirming experience. When people feel heard, they also feel valued. Both feelings are empowering. They encourage people to contribute their ideas and express themselves openly in conversations at work, in school, at Meeting, and with loved ones.
4. Stand Up for Others: Empowerment involves standing up for one’s own rights and the rights of others. When individuals speak out against injustices or mistreatment, they not only support their values; they also can effect real change that brings greater equality to everyone and protects entire communities from abuse. I always think of the story that Beth shares about the man who, even though he disagreed completely with Phil Gulley, defended his right to say what he believed without being removed from our yearly meeting. That is what Quakers must do.
5. Embrace Positivity: Positivity significantly affects the mind and body. More than just a catchphrase, positive thinking can decrease stress, boost immunity, and increase a person’s ability to analyze. This can support creativity and give people the courage to try out new things and take risks.
I think this is a real challenge among Friends. We are often so afraid that someone will become prideful that we miss out on the opportunity of being a positive influence in their life. Often this comes off as a “fake niceness” instead of a true positivity.
Those who embrace positivity not only empower themselves. Their positivity frequently empowers those around them as well. Positivity breeds positivity, providing people with energy, enthusiasm, and encouragement. This can help motivate others and give them the boost they need to keep pushing forward through a trying personal experience, a challenging situation, or uncertain times.
6. Build Support Networks: Strong support systems help individuals cope with life’s challenges. Our Meeting should be considered a support network – if it is not, we should consider why? Support networks can also enhance self-esteem, ease the effects of emotional distress, and even lower a person’s blood pressure.
Overall, we want to build a world that lifts us all. Empowering those around us can help manifest humanity’s greatest potential. When we empower each other, we build a world that lifts us all.
Now, as we head into waiting worship, consider how you have been empowered and what you will do for someone in your life to help empower them to reach their potential. As well, here are some queries to consider:
1. Who do I need to thank for empowering me in my life? (Consider writing them a note or calling them and expressing your gratitude.)
2. In what areas have I become self-obsessed, self-focused, myopic, and not been able to see the potential in the people around me?
3. How at First Friends might we work to embrace a Testimony of Empowerment that intentionally inspires change, develops partnerships, and seeks to name and honestly address the complex issues we and our surrounding communities face?